Effortlessly translucent, Tropical Interface, a fresh-faced Russian producer connected via plantlike fibers to the so-called “eco-grime” scene (Resident Advisor’s term, not mine) as well as to Sydney-based instigative record label Eco Futurism Corporation, drops “OM1,” the first in hopefully a lengthy series of tapes for Orange Milk. Get it? “OM1”? If this keeps up, by the time “OM20” drops, the ocean will have reclaimed most of the surface of the Earth, save for a few island oases where cooperation with nature is the only option for survival. Of course there will be a recording studio on one of them – how do you think “OM20” came to be in the first place?
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Tropical Interface is the sound of the molecules in the polar icecaps beginning to speed up with the increase in temperature, hastening glacial breakdown and the aforementioned expansion of ocean borders to terrifyingly inland locations. Balancing the molecular freakout with a pristine and clear tonal palette, Tropical Interface layers on coat after coat of digital sheen, expressing in synthetic reproduction a fully natural experience. This is the whole MO of the eco-futurism movement, though, a blend of nature and technology that seamlessly interweaves to evolve into something beyond even the vision of its creation.
Where “OM1” succeeds, thrives, and indeed moves far beyond any confines imposed upon it is in its delirious melodic structures and patterns. Tropical Interface sure does make some of the most pleasant and accessible footwork/drum-n-bass/etc. that you’re likely to hear, even as “OM1” doesn’t skimp on the virtuosic rhythms or breakneck pace. This tape is a living, breathing entity, a mad dash toward possibility, potentiality, and, in the end, probable outcomes. Cop one from an island oasis near you.
Tropical Interface